How to review monthly and yearly subscription spending
Convert active subscriptions to a monthly equivalent before adding them. Multiply a weekly charge by 52 and divide by 12, keep a monthly charge as entered, and divide a yearly charge by 12. Subscription Guard rounds each monthly equivalent to two decimal places and projects a yearly total from the monthly sum.
Put three billing cycles on the same scale
Suppose your active subscriptions are a USD 6 weekly lesson, a USD 14 monthly editing app, and a USD 96 yearly storage plan. Enter the amount the provider charges each time and its billing cycle. This example uses USD for all three entries.
The lesson works out to USD 26 per month under the 52-week convention. The editing app is USD 14 per month. The storage plan adds USD 8 per month. Add 26, 14 and 8 for a monthly equivalent of USD 48.
Review the Subscription Guard dashboard
Record each plan with its price and billing cycle, then check that the plans you expect to count are active. Open the dashboard and compare Monthly Spend and Yearly with your figures. Subscription Guard includes active entries and multiplies its monthly total by 12 for the yearly projection.
If the monthly figure looks high, check the billing cycles first. The USD 96 storage plan adds USD 8 a month when recorded as yearly. If it is entered as monthly, the monthly total rises from USD 48 to USD 136. Check the provider’s billing frequency before correcting the entry.
Account for rounding when checking the yearly figure
With all three example plans, the yearly projection is USD 576. For a weekly charge that produces a repeating decimal, the dashboard’s yearly projection can differ slightly from multiplying the weekly price by 52. For example, a USD 2 weekly charge becomes USD 8.67 per month after rounding. Multiplying that by 12 gives USD 104.04.
When reconciling a difference of a few cents, check the monthly rounding before changing the plan price. The tracker’s formula uses 52 weeks for a yearly estimate. Actual charge dates can vary across calendar years.
Compare the projection with what you have paid
Use the projection for planning if the same prices and billing cycles continue. A yearly plan due in October contributes its monthly equivalent while the record is active, even before the October payment posts.
To find actual spending between two dates, review the receipts or statements from the accounts that billed you. Check when each charge posted and include any credits or refunds recorded there. Keep that total alongside the projection when you need both figures.
Questions
Why is my projected annual total a few cents different from my calculation?
Subscription Guard rounds each monthly equivalent to two decimal places, then multiplies the monthly total by 12. Check whether a weekly or yearly amount had a fractional cent.
Should I add amounts in different currencies together?
Review amounts separately by currency unless you have converted them to the same currency using a known rate. This example uses USD throughout.
Where do I check what I actually paid this year?
Use receipts and statements from the accounts that billed you and total the charges for the period you need.